So you’ve just moved into your new home and after days of tedious unpacking, you’re left with a room full of empty unattractive cardboard boxes. Your initial thought would be to add them to the recycling pile (we hope), but wait – don’t get rid of those cardboard boxes just yet!

Whether they are Corrugated, Solid or Die Cut Carton boxes, they all deserve a second life. You’d be surprised as to how much use you can actually get out of them.

All you need to do is get your creative groove on and turn your empty boxes into imaginative home décor that you can enjoy all year round!

To help get your creative juices flowing, we’ve rustled up top DIY hacks to reuse your old cardboard box.

1. Stylish Storage

Cover your empty boxes with fabric to match your home decor to create the perfect storage solution! It’s a very cost effective way to get stylish storage in your home, plus you can easily change the fabric around if you fancy a change.

2. It’s playtime!

A simple cardboard box is all it needs to take a child’s imagination to another level. Build a simple playhouse by cutting out windows and doors. You can also use the box to store all the kid’s toys in and you can get them to decorate it to how they like.

3. Wall art

Blank canvases are expensive but empty cardboard boxes are not. Cut out simple square shapes and paint on your own design. They are perfect for sprucing up your bare walls, plus you can get creative and print out family photos that you can stick onto the canvas.

4. Animal Bed

Pets love cardboard boxes, especially cats, try leaving an empty box in the room and see how quickly your cat curls up inside it. Fill the box with their favourite blankets and toys to make them feel at home.

5. Memory keeper

An old shoe box is great for storing those greeting cards you can’t part with just yet. It’s a simple to way to build your collection and can be easily customised based on the contents of the box.

6. Gift box

Don’t buy gift boxes, reuse your old cardboard boxes and decorate with wrapping paper. The best thing about this is that you no longer need to worry about wrapping that awkward gift shape, just pop it into a box and then get your favourite wrapping paper or just some old newspaper to get the retro look.

A little inspiration is all it takes to get creative at home. Try these ideas or maybe some of your own and you can ultimately save you a few pennies and reduce waste!